Sharpening for Web: Pixel Width

[kdoc]

When output sharpening for the Web, or monitor viewing, is "width" (the setting you choose in Photokit Sharpener) considered the same whether you are in portrait or landscape mode? In other words, does "width" mean the longest dimension of any image, or does it mean in a portrait mode the shortest dimension?

kdoc

[Jeff Schewe]

It actually means the actual width. . .yes it's not intuitive, but this is what Bruce has found. That it's the image width that really is the determining factor. Also, don't get confused with the "Edge Width" options, those are still important to select accurately.

If Output Sharpener doesn't have an exact match, choose the colsest and test. You can either raise or lower the default results.

[Arlen Thomason]

Jeff or Bruce, any speculation as to the why the absolute width is the governing parameter, or is it completely empirical?

[Jeff Schewe]

Bruce is on the road for a couple of days, so in my best Bruce impersonation, let me say "empirical testing convinced us to move in this direction".

[did that sound like Bruce? How was the accent?]

[Bruce Fraser]

It's grounded in studies that show that binocular vision is more sensitive to vertical edges than to horizontals, but the empirical tests were what convinced us that it was a viable approach.